Dumas, TX

It is the Mission of the Dumas Fire Department to provide the citizens we serve with excellence in all facets of emergency response and prevention. We will use state-of-the-art equipment, techniques, and education in the efforts to prevent the loss of life and property from an all-hazards approach by highly trained professionals in their respective fields.

VISION STATEMENT 
The Dumas Fire Department has the vision to excel in the customer service based delivery of high-quality emergency response by highly trained professionals who are selected, recruited, trained, and promoted based on their abilities to bolster a climate for positive change in the fire service.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT 
Led by Fire Chief / Fire Marshal Ronald W. Pray, the Dumas Fire Department is an ISO Class 2 combination fire department comprised of sixteen paid firefighters and up to thirty volunteer firefighters serving an estimated 20,940 residents. The Dumas Fire Department responds to an average of 1100 emergency calls annually.  These calls encompass a wide variety of situations including structure fires, grass fires, motor vehicle accidents, medical calls, hazardous materials incidents, and special rescues.  The fire department is actively involved in fire prevention and public education in cooperation with the Dumas Independent School District, as well as several private and civic organizations.  

DEPARTMENT HISTORY

The Dumas Volunteer Fire Department was officially organized on December 1, 1930. This organization consisted of one Fire Chief, R.L. Spencer, one Assistant Fire Chief, S.H. Hale, and two 11-member hose companies, each consisting of one captain, one lieutenant, and nine firemen. These 24 original members served a population of about 550 citizens.  The department was supported by a 1930 Seagraves 500 GPM pumper, which was the only fire apparatus until 1944 when a second Seagraves pumper was purchased. Both units now sit at the Window on the Plains Museum at 1820 S. Dumas Avenue.

As Dumas has grown over the last 90 years, so have the needs and diversity of the citizens we serve. Our fire department has grown from a 24-person all-volunteer department to an ISO class 2 combination department consisting of 16 paid personnel and 30 volunteers serving an estimated population of 20,940 citizens. We have a primary response district and mutual aid agreements with two neighboring cities protecting a total of 909 square miles.  The apparatus maintained by the department consists of two Class A engines, one 101 ft King Cobra Articulating Platform Ladder Truck, one Hazmat / Mobile Command Unit, three Grass Trucks; two Rescue Units, two Water Tankers, and two Command Units. Click here to be taken to the Dumas Fire Department's apparatus information page. 

With 90 years of service and tradition, we are proud to serve the citizens of Dumas and Moore County.

NEVER FORGOTTEN - 1956
On Sunday, July 29, 1956, a tank containing half a million gallons of pentane and hexane exploded, killing 19 firemen and injuring an additional 32 people. This stands as the worst disaster in Moore County history and ranks third behind September 11, 2001 in total firefighter deaths in the United States of America.
Sixteen firefighters died at the scene; three more perished following the blast. 

Of the 19, DVFD would lose 7 firefighters:

Ollen W. Cleveland- 38

Billy Joe Dunn- 25

Sam A. Gibson Jr.- 37

Albert D. Milligan- 32

Paschal Pool- 31

Meryl W. Slagle- 33

Donald W. Thompson- 27

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NEVER FORGOTTEN - 2011
On April 9, 2011, Cactus VFD Firefighter Elias Jaquez was critically injured and three other firefighters received injuries during firefighting operations at a wildland fire located in Moore County. On April 20, 2011, Firefighter Jaquez, age 49, died as a result of complications of the injuries received on April 9, 2011.  


*Special thanks to Firefighter Cameron Walker for his efforts in researching, compiling, and preserving our department's history.